Geographien des Klimawandels : Verwundbarkeit, Sicherheit, Translokalität

Abstract

This dissertation shows the contribution human geography can make to social science research on climate change. The central question is how the conceptialization of space and spatial categories changes in the face of climate change debates. First, a number of traditional spatial registers in human geography (place, region and landscape) are discussed and it is asked what role those categories play in scientific debates, as well as political and media accounts of climate change. The historical development of the conceptualization of those categories is sketched out and it is argued that in all of them, relational and constructivist perspectives have gained importance in recent years. In a second step, spatial aspects are discussed in the context of two thematic areas, vulnerability and security, and are demonstrated with the help of four articles that are part of the dissertation. Here, places and regions are characterized as medium and outcome of power-laden social processes. In a last step, it is argued that the translocality approach can help establishing critical human geographical inquiry in climate change research.